Classica Sinica Medica

骨痿

gǔ wěi

Bone flaccidity

Also rendered: Bone flaccidity (this site; the kidney's tissue named directly) · Bone withering (where the plant image of 痿 is kept)

Pathology

Reviewed · 2026-09-29

At a glance

Pinyin
gǔ wěi
Simplified
骨痿
Literal
骨痿 gǔ wěi — the flaccidity of the kidney's tissue, and the one the chapter explains with water and fire. Kidney qi hot, the lower back and spine cannot straighten, the bones wither and the marrow diminishes; or, in the second account, long roads and great heat strike yang qi down within, the heat lodges in the kidney, and water can no longer overcome fire.
Shuowen
《說文解字》：骨，肉之覈也。「骨」、**本篇8見**；「痿」讀 wěi、**全篇之題**。**「髓減」之減，底本作「減」，讀 jiǎn**；**「腰脊不舉」之舉讀 jǔ**。

In brief

The flaccidity of the bones, from heat in the kidney, described twice: once as the withering of bone and marrow with the back unable to straighten, and once as the outcome of great heat met on the road, where yang qi is struck down within and the heat lodges in the kidney. The Lower Classic is quoted: bone flaccidity arises from great heat.

Senses in the classical corpus

1
The graphs 骨、痿
骨者腎之所主，痿者弛而不用
發爲骨痿 — Suwen 44
2
How kidney heat does it 腰脊不舉，骨枯而髓減
腎熱則骨枯髓減，腰脊為之不舉
腎氣熱，則腰脊不舉 — Suwen 44
3
The heat from the road 遠行勞倦，逢大熱而渴
勞倦逢熱，渴則陽氣内伐
有所遠行勞倦，逢大熱而渴 — Suwen 44
4
Why the kidney holds it 腎者水藏也，今水不勝火
腎為水藏，水不勝火，故熱舍於腎
腎者水藏也，今水不勝火 — Suwen 44
5
What the Lower Classic says 骨痿者，生於大熱也
骨痿之生，本於大熱
故下經曰：骨痿者，生於大熱也 — Suwen 44
6
Its place among the five 骨痿
五痿之一，腎與骨當之
發爲骨痿 — Suwen 44

Occurrences in the classics

Passages where the term does real work, with the original, pinyin and English on the same line.

Display
1 passages
Suwen 44 Suwen 44 · 痿論 Read in context →
腎氣熱，則腰脊不舉，骨枯而髓減，發爲骨痿。 肾气热，则腰脊不举，骨枯而髓减，发为骨痿。
Shèn qì rè, zé yāo jǐ bù jǔ, gǔ kū ér suǐ jiǎn, fā wéi gǔ wěi.
When the kidney qi is hot, the lower back and spine cannot straighten, the bones wither and the marrow diminishes — this becomes bone flaccidity.
**「發爲骨痿」——**「骨」，**本篇8見**；「髓」讀 suǐ、**「髓減」之髓，讀 suǐ**；**「腰脊不舉」之「不」讀 bù**；**下文言「足不任身」，即此痿之成**。

Compounds built on this term

骨痿
gǔ wěi
bone flaccidity
本篇腎氣熱與大熱之所得
骨枯髓減
gǔ kū suǐ jiǎn
the bones wither and the marrow diminishes
腎熱之形
水不勝火
shuǐ bù shèng huǒ
water cannot overcome fire
熱舍於腎之故
足不任身
zú bù rèn shēn
the feet cannot bear the body
骨痿之證

How it has been translated

Every rendering below is a decision about which reader is being addressed. There is no neutral option.

This sitebone flaccidity骨 is bone on this site, as in the entries for 骨痺 and 骨髓
Unschuldbone witheringhe keeps the plant image of 痿
Wisemanbone wilting痿 is wilting in his system

Entry status

Review pending — who reviews this?

2026-09-29

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Reading path

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